LAHORE - Brilliant batting by Nauman Anwar and superb bowling by bowlers steered Sialkot Stallions to superb 65-run victory over Karachi Dolphins in the Cool & Cool Presents Haier Super8 T20 Cup first 1st semi-final played at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Sunday.
According to information made available here, Sialkot Stallions were off to flying start as the openers batted very well and brought the team’s total to 74 when Faraz Ahmed bowled out Mukhtar Ahmed at his individual score of 25 made with the help of three fours. Nauman then added 41 more runs along with Bilal Asif to make it 115. But Faraz once again bowled extremely well and showed set batsman Nauman to the pavilion. Nauman was top scorer with 80 runs wrapped with nine boundaries and five sixes. After Nauman’s dismissal, only captain Shoaib Malik impressed the spectators with his batting scoring 22 runs while Bilal Asif contributed 25 hitting two fours and two sixes. No other batsmen could reach double figures as Stallions were all out for 167 runs in 19.4 overs. Faraz Ahmed and Abdul Ameer were wreckers of Stallions innings as both the bowlers clinched three wickets each for Dolphins while Fawad Khan took two and M captain M Sami got one.
Stallions’ bowlers also bowled outstandingly and put pressure on their opponents right from the start. It was superb bowling by leg spinner Usama Mir and off spinner Bilal Asif who restricted Dolphins to 102 runs in 17 overs. Dolphins lost their first wicket in the very first over when Sultan Ahmed sent back opener Fazal Subhan at just four runs. Then in the fourth over bowler of the day Usama bowled Shahzaib Hasan for 20 runs. Asad Shafiq also lost his wicket cheaply at the hands of Bilawal Bhatti at five runs.
Then Rameez Raja junior (24) and M Waqas (29) batted well and managed to score some quick runs for Dolphins, but after their dismissal, no batsmen could reach the double figures and Dolphins were all out for 102 in 17 overs. Usama Mir and Bilal Asif grabbed three wickets each while Ali Khan took two and Sultan Ahmed and Bilawal Bhatti got one wicket each. For his superb batting performance, Nauman Anwar was declared man of the match.

Scoreboard

SIALKOT STALLIONS:
Mukhtar Ahmed b Faraz Ahmed    25
Nauman Anwar b Faraz Ahmed     80
Bilal Asif c Fazal b Faraz    25
Shoaib Malik c Rameez b Fawad    22
Haris Sohail run out    0
Ali Khan c Asad b Abdul    7
Ayaz Tasawwar c Anwar b Ameer    0
Sultan Ahmed c M Hasan b Ameer     0
Usama Mir c Anwar b M Sami     1
Ahmed Butt c Fazal b Fawad    4
Bilawal Bhatti not out     1
EXTRAS: (lb 1, w 1)    2
TOTAL: (all out; 19.4 overs)    167
FOW: 1-74, 2-115, 3-136, 4-137, 5-150, 6-151, 7-151, 8-155, 9-166, 10-167
BOWLING: M Sami 4-0-28-1, Anwar Ali 4-0-31-0, Fawad Khan 3.4-0-39-2, Abdul Ameer 4-0-38-3, Faraz Ahmed-4-0-30-3.
KARACHI DOLPHINS:
Fazal Subhan st Ahmed b Sultan    4
Shahzaib Hasan b Usama Mir     20
Asad Shafiq b Bilawal Bhatti     5
Rameez Raja (2) st Ahmed b Usama    24
M Waqas b Usama Mir    29
M Hasan c Ali Khan b Bilal    4
Anwar Ali c Ali Khan b Bilal    4
M Sami b Bilal Asif     7
Faraz Ahmed c Mukhtar b Ali Khan     0
Fawad Khan c Usama b Ali Khan     1
Abdul Ameer not out     1
EXTRAS: (b 1, lb 1, w 1)    3
TOTAL: (all out; 17 overs)    102
FOW: 1-4, 2-27, 3-40, 4-69, 5-86, 6-90, 7-99, 8-100, 9-100, 10-102
BOWLING: Sultan Ahmed 4-0-31-1, Bilawal Bhatti 3-1-16-1, Usama Mir 4-0-16-3, Shoaib Malik 1-0-15-0, Bilal Asif 4-0-20-3, Ali Khan 1-0-2-2.
TOSS: Karachi Dolphins
UMPIRES: Riazuddin and Tahir Hussain
TV UMPIRE: Khalid Mahmood
MATCH REFEREE: Anwar Khan
RESERVE UMPIRE: Asif Yaqoob